Planet Payo

Artemis II moon crew flies farther than humans have ever gone before

2026-04-06T07:00:00.009+08:00

HOUSTON, April 6 (Reuters) - The four astronauts of NASA's Artemis II mission flew deeper into space on Monday than any humans before them, as they cruised through a rare flyby of the shadowed far side of the moon that revealed a lunar surface under cosmic bombardment.

The six-hour survey of the normally hidden ‌hemisphere of Earth's only natural satellite was highlighted by the astronauts' direct visual observations of "impact flashes" from meteors pelting the darkened and heavily cratered lunar surface.

About two dozen scientists packed a conference room adjacent to mission control at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to record the lunar phenomena witnessed by the Artemis crew in real time as their Orion spacecraft, about the size of an SUV, sailed around the moon roughly a quarter million miles (402,000 km) from Earth.

The six-hour flyby, which swooped to within 4,070 miles of the lunar surface, came six days into a spaceflight marking the world's first voyage of astronauts to the vicinity of the moon since NASA's Cold War-era Apollo missions more than half a century ago.

Six of those missions landed two-man teams on the moon between 1969 and 1972 - the only 12 humans ever to walk on its surface.

UK Foreign Secretary Sees PH as Asia Pacific Success Story

2014-02-01T08:54:00.005+08:00

MANILA, Philippines—United Kingdom’s foreign secretary thinks the Philippines can be “one of Asia Pacific’s great success stories” citing the strong economy and the hard work of Filipinos both in the country and all over the world.

"Your high rates of economic growth are a testament to strong economic policy and the hard work of Filipinos at home and abroad, including thousands in my own country,”

William Hague, UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said in his speech Thursday.

“The Philippines clearly has the potential to be one of Asia Pacific’s great success stories and we want to support you in that, to the benefit of both our peoples,”

he said.

Hague highlighted the newly established direct flights between London and Manila that will boost tourism for both UK and the Philippines and the increase of scholars from the Philippines that will be able to study in universities in the UK.

Before his speech, Hague met with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosaro to discuss the two countries’ economic and diplomatic ties.

“Secretary Hague and I reviewed our countries’ economic relations. British investments in the country increased by an impressive 293 percent from P1.72 billion in 2011 to P6.76 billion in 2012, making UK a major source of foreign direct investments,”

del Rosario said in a joint press conference after their bilateral talks.

“Similarly, our bilateral trade performed positively, and increased by 35 percent from US$ 687 million in 2011 to US$ 927 million in 2012. Among the European Union member states, UK ranks as the fourth top destination for Philippine exports,”

he said.

There were a total of 218,777 permanent, temporary, and irregular Filipinos in the UK as of December 2012, according to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.

From January to September of 2013, the UK was among the top 10 countries with the most number of tourists in the Philippines.

“Countries in Asia Pacific have, in their different ways, made remarkable progress in recent decades but on some of the paths they have taken until now, progress will get harder as the global landscape changes,”

Hague said.

“Asia has astounded the world with its progress in the last three decades, and I confidently hope it will produce the new ideas, the new thinking and the new discoveries to surprise and benefit all of us for many decades to come,”

he said.- Inquirer

Jollibee, Mang Inasal Founders Take DoubleDragon Public

2014-01-30T07:47:00.005+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - The founders of Jollibee and Mang Inasal are taking their property partnership public.

DoubleDragon Properties, which is owned by Jollibee chairman Tony Tan Caktiong and Mang Inasal founder Edgar "Injap" Sia II, has filed its application for a P1.16 billion initial public offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

That would be one-fourth of DoubleDragon, giving the company a total value of P4.5 billion.

"We are all excited because this is my first listing, and the second listing of the Tan family. The last listing of the Tan family was 21 years ago, when they listed Jollibee at P9 per share,"

said Sia, who is chairman of DoubleDragon.

Tan Caktiong and Sia became partners after Jollibee bought Mang Inasal in 2010.

For its IPO, DoubleDragon is offering for subscription up to 579.73 million primary offer shares, up to P2 per share.

DoubleDragon said it will use the money for its residential, commercial and mixed-use real estate developments.

The bulk of the proceeds will go to its flagship project, CityMall, which is envisioned to be a chain of community malls around the country.

A CityMall will have a floor area of approximately 5,000-10,000 square meters, and located mostly in Visayas and Mindanao. It will have a food court (which will feature Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Chowking, Highlandas Coffee, Red Ribbon and Greenwich), retail shops and a supermarket.

Double Dragon said it aims to roll out 100 City Mall community malls by 2020.

The first City Mall is expected to be located in Roxas City, where Double Dragon has recently acquired a 12,654 square meter commercial land in Arnaldo Boulevard.

Aside from the community mall chain, Double Dragon is also planning to complete three office towers in the next six years in business districts in Metro Manila. The office buildings will be leased out to corporate and BPO tenants.

In 2013, Double Dragon posted a P170.48 million consolidated net income before tax, 29% higher than the P132.03 million in 2012. The company's net income after tax in 2013 stood at P126.63 million, 37% higher than the P92.48 million in 2012. - ABS-CBN

Google Unveils Street View in PH

2014-01-29T09:57:00.002+08:00

MANILA -- Tech giant Google is bringing its popular Street View feature to the Philippines, which allows users to explore and view different sights and places via the Internet.

On Tuesday, Google country marketing manager Ryan Morales and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez unveiled the Google Street View cars, which are equipped with 15 cameras to take photos of Metro Manila, which will be stitched together to create 360-degree panoramic images.

Morales, however, assured that privacy will be a top priority for Google, as he [promised to blur faces of people, as well as license plates, that may be captured in the photos.

Just last month, a federal appellate court in the US affirmed an earlier ruling that Google's Street View cars "potentially violated the federal wiretap law by collecting payload data -- including emails, passwords and URLs visited -- from WiFi networks," clearing the way for a class-action privacy lawsuit to proceed to trial.

On Tuesday, Google communications and public affairs manager Gail Tan pointed out that the launch of Street View can help promote the country's tourist spots.

That's why Jimenez said he hopes Filipinos will embrace Street View as this can boost the country's tourism campaign.

“This will allow us to create a digital experience of our landscapes, which we hope will entice more people around the world to learn about our diverse offerings and visit our country,"

he said.

"For us here at home, Street View can also help make the maps of our country even 'more fun'... which in turn can help boost domestic travel and tourism,”

he said, referring to the country's tourism slogan,

"It's More Fun in the Philippines."

Intramuros administrator Marco Sardillo said the historical landmark will be the first area to be featured on Street View.

To mark the launch of Street View in the Philippines, Google published special panoramas of the San Agustin Church, Baluarte de San Diego, Plaza San Luis Complex and Fort Santiago.

According to Morales, Google Street View cars will start roaming around Manila on Tuesday and will continue on to other places in the coming days.

“We are delighted to work with the Department of Tourism of the Philippines to begin driving and capturing Street View imagery of the country,"

he said.

"We can’t wait to share the new panoramic road imagery of the Philippines on Google Map.”

- ABS-CBN

SMC chief eyes 30% stake in GMA 7

2014-01-25T07:13:00.003+08:00

Businessman Ramon S. Ang is making a strong push for a minority stake in GMA Network Inc., casting some degree of uncertainty over a rival bid by Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., which has long sought a foothold in the major television broadcast firm, Inquirer sources said.

Ang has offered to acquire at least 30 percent from the majority shareholders of GMA Network, which is controlled by the Duavit, Gozon and Jimenez families, at P10.80 a share, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

Ang is president of San Miguel Corp., although the businessman—at this time—was reportedly making the offer in his personal capacity.

His bid was reportedly at a premium to that of Manuel V. Pangilinan-led PLDT, which was offering more than P9 a share, also for a minority stake, a source said.

GMA Network, which has gained in recent months after PLDT said in December that it had revived talks after two failed attempts, slid 0.56 percent to P8.80 a share on Thursday.

No deal has been closed although it was suggested that the shareholders were satisfied with Ang’s offer.

Ang, who was previously reported to be in negotiations to acquire Solar Entertainment Corp. from the Tieng family, declined to comment on Thursday. A PLDT spokesperson also did not comment. GMA Network chair Felipe Gozon declined to comment on Thursday.

“GMA could be a good investment target since it’s earning and is profitable,”

said Joseph Roxas, president of stock brokerage firm Eagle Equities Inc. GMA mainly competes with the Lopez clan’s ABS-CBN Corp. for television ratings.

Roxas added that it made sense to acquire a stake below 35 percent as this would allow the buyer to avoid a costly but mandated tender offer—or a buyout offer to other stockholders. - Inquirer

Airbus outsold Boeing in 2013

2014-01-14T11:05:00.001+08:00

European plane-maker Airbus won its annual order race with U.S. rival Boeing in 2013, industry sources said.

Boeing earlier reported 1,531 gross commercial airplane orders for 2013, or 1,355 net orders after subtracting cancellations.

Airbus booked more orders in both categories, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity, without giving more details.

The European company delivered over 625 aircraft in 2013, beating its target of up to 620 but lagging Boeing's total of 648 deliveries, one source said.

Airbus declined to comment ahead of an annual news conference on January 13. — Reuters

MVP Urged to Finalize Talks with Chinese Oil Producer

2014-01-10T18:02:00.003+08:00

MANILA - Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla is urging the group led by business titan Manuel V. Pangilinan to enter into commercial arrangements with China’s state-owned oil producer to finally pave the way for exploratory works at the disputed Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea.

This, as Petilla said one permanent solution to soaring electricity prices is to drill more oil and gas fields to lessen the country’s dependence on the Malampaya gas field in offshore Palawan.

Electricity prices soared last year with the record increase in the generation charge of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s biggest power distributor, of P3.44 per kilowatt-hour.

“The permanent solution is to drill again but we can only do that if we have a clear signal from the DND (Department of National Defense),”

Petilla said.

As such, he said he is urging private investors such as Pangilinan’s group to enter into commercial arrangements among themselves.

“That is why I am asking the private sector to see if there can be commercial arrangement among themselves while respecting the service contract terms of the Philippines,”

Petilla said.

Pangilinan led Forum Energy has a 70-percent stake in the Recto Bank, which is covered by Service Contract 72.

The area is estimated to contain prospective resources of as much as 16.6 trillion cubic feet of gas and 416 million barrels of oil.

Monte Oro Resources and Energy Inc. holds the remaining 30-percent stake in the contract.

The Department of Energy has granted Forum Energy an extension to August 2015 to complete the second sub-phase obligations of drilling wells on SC 72.

Forum sought an extension in the government-mandated work program because of delays in their drilling activities, dragged largely by the geopolitical issues between the Philippines and China

Philex Mining owns 64.45 percent of Forum Energy through its interests in FEC Resources, Inc. and Philex Petroleum Corp.

Petilla said he is urging not just the group of Pangilinan but other private investors whose contracts may be in affected territories.

In October, Pangilinan said Forum Energy is in fresh talks with China’s state-owned oil producer China National Offshore Oil Co. Ltd. (CNOOC to hopefully pave the way for exploratory works in the disputed area.

“That’s what we’re aiming for. We hope to do that to reach a commercial basis for further exploratory and drilling work on the concession but further subject to approval of their government and our government,”

Pangilinan earlier said. - ABS-CBN News

DOTC to Auction Off 2 Infra Projects in 2014

2014-01-06T14:10:00.001+08:00

MANILA - The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is bidding out two commuter rail projects within the year.

Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the agency is awaiting clearance from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for the Integrated Luzon Railway and the North South Commuter Railway.

He said Canada's CPCS Transcom Ltd is conducting a feasibility study for the Integrated Luzon Railway Project.

The project will cover the entire Philippine National Railways (PNR) mainline, including the line north from Manila to La Union, from Tarlac to San Jose, Nueva Ecija, and a proposed extension to Cagayan.

The mainline south includes the one running from Manila to Legazpi City as well as the branch line from Calamba to Batangas City.

For the North South Commuter Rail Project, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is undertaking a feasibility study for link Malolos, Bulacan to Calamba, Laguna through Manila.

The commuter rail, which will be constructed above the tracks of state-run PNR, is estimated to cost between $4-5 billion.

"This will address the growing traffic in Metro Manila,"

Abaya said, adding that the projects should be completed in five to six years. - Interaksyon

International Traders See PH as Gateway to ASEAN

2013-12-28T11:00:00.003+08:00

Investors are considering making the Philippines their gateway for their planned investments in the region, in preparation for the formation of the Asean Economic Community by 2015.

“With the AEC 2015 in the horizon, there is a strong interest in making the Philippines a hub for (investments in) retail, automotive parts exportation and aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul,”

Trade Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo Jr. said in an interview.

This is why the Department of Trade and Industry, according to Manalo, will aggressively tap and pursue next year various trade and investment opportunities particularly in mature priority markets in East Asia, including South Korea and Japan, which have been visited recently by President Benigno Aquino III.

“We will follow through these opportunities and further develop Japanese, Korean and Asean-wide interests and solid leads in manufacturing, infrastructure development and tourism,”

Manalo added.

The trade official also recalled that in the second half of 2013, the DTI conducted investment missions to Europe and the United States, where various companies confirmed their renewed interest in the Philippines as an investment destination.

“There were specific inquiries about and interest, of course, in the Philippines’ business process management industry. However, we are pleased to note that we can build further investment momentum in areas such as digital telecommunications, computer entertainment and high value electronics components,”

Manalo said.

“As a result of (these) activities, we see increased inbound missions and company visits to the Philippines in the first half of 2014,”

he added.

This year, the Philippines played host to a big number of trade and investment missions from the United States, Turkey, Singapore, France, United Kingdom, Japan and the Middle East. The delegations were composed of companies that were eyeing opportunities in the country’s retail, energy, automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, education, construction and IT-BPM sectors, as well as the government’s public-private partnership program.

- Inquirer

Ayala Group Mulls Entry into Agriculture

2013-12-21T09:03:00.003+08:00

MANILA - The Ayala Group has expressed interest in investing in agriculture within and outside and rehabilitation program.

This was revealed by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala following a recent meeting with Ayala Group officials.

“We had a meeting with The Ayala Group. They are requesting for a feasibility study on various agricultural products that they can invest in,”

said Alcala.

Alcala said that the Ayala Group’s interest in the agricultural sector dovetails with newly-installed rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson’s invitation to the private sector to participate in the rehabilitation of typhoon-damaged provinces.

Alcala said Lacson plans to meet with the heads of the country’s top 50 companies to present the government’s rehabilitation plan.

Alcala will meet Lacson this week to discuss the rehabilitation plan for the agriculture sector.

“We will encourage them (private companies) to participate in the rehabilitation because the government cannot do it alone,”

he said.

Meanwhile, Alcala admitted that the group of businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan is still having trouble finding large tracts of land for its planned agriculture investments.

Pangilinan earlier said that his group has asked the Department of Agriculture (DA) to identify parcels of land that could be used for commercial farming.

Pangilinan, the managing director and chief executive officer of Hong Kong based First Pacific Co. Ltd., had expressed interest in forming a new company for his agricultural investments in the Philippines with PT Indofood, a unit of the conglomerate.

Indofood operates plantations in Indonesia for the production of palm oil, sugar, rubber, coffee and cacao. Its palm oil plantation alone covers 240,000 hectares.

Alcala said that the DA still has no leads to a sizable land area for large-scale commercial farming.

“We are still identifying locations. Mr. Pangilinan wants a sizable land area which is not readily available,”

said Alcala.

Pangilinan is specifically interested in palm oil because of Indofood’s familiarity with the commodity.

Pangilinan’s group is initially looking for around 30,000 hectares of agricultural land in Davao to establish palm oil production and processing operations.

“We cannot just find 30,000 hectares, said Alcala. “But the project is indeed adaptable in Mindanao.”

In August last year, Pangilinan said First Pacific. is engaged in talks with hybrid rice seeds producer SL Agritech Corporation for a possible partnership for large-scale rice farming.

Pangilinan’s group would provide the land for farming while SL Agritech would provide the rice seeds.

SL Agritech, owned by businessman Henry Lim Bon Liong is a subsidiary of the Sterling Paper group of companies. It was formed in 1998, performing research work on hybrid rice.

At least 10,000 hectares is needed for the project.

Because of difficulties in securing agricultural lands, however, the two companies are considering to move their planned joint venture to Indonesia. - ABS-CBN

PLDT to Spend Bulk of P29-B Capex on Broadband

2013-12-18T09:58:00.004+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - Dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is spending about two-thirds of its P29-billion budget for capital expenditures next year for its growing broadband business.

PLDT President Napoleon Nazareno said in an interview on the sidelines of the awarding of PLDT HOME’s Most Loyal Connections Contest and Iconic Years Video Competition in connection with the company’s 85th year anniversary celebration that next year’s capex is the same level as this year.

“More or less it will be the same level as this year at P29 billion,”

Nazareno said.

Of the total amount, he said about 65 percent would be allocated to expand its broadband business while 25 percent would be used to further expand PLDT’s fiber optic network by about 10 percent next year.

PLDT's total fiber footprint as of end-September stood at more than 75,000 kilometers including 7,200 kilometers of international submarine fiber and over 4,000 kilometers of domestic submarine fiber.

Consolidated capital expenditures for the period amounted to P14.9 billion as of end-September as the PLDT Group continues to fortify its network with a P29-billion budget despite having completed its P67.1 billion two-year network transformation program ahead of schedule.

Last August, PLDT completed a P2.5-billion expansion project involving the installation of over 5,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables to support the aggressive roll-out of high-speed data services on its fixed and mobile networks. - ABS-CBN

JFC Still Bats for Batangas Subic as International Shipping Hubs Despite Lack of Support

2013-12-16T10:22:00.001+08:00

MANILA - Despite the apparent lack of support from the government, the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) said it is still pushing for the gradual transfer of international container shipment from Manila to Batangas and Subic.

In a statement, the group said Batangas Container Terminal has been "grossly underutilized" and it has recommended in its Arangkada Philippines 2010 that South Harbor and the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) should be declogged by shifting the shipment volume to these two outer ports.

According to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Batangas and Subic ports are underused, with capacity utilization at 4.2 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively.

"However, the national government through the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and DOTC has not acted upon this request,"

the JFC quoted a private sector expert as saying.

Feeder operators in Batangas and Subic and other shipping lines are considering calls as soon as volumes increase. JFC said container shipments will follow if the industrial zones in Clark and areas south of Manila are master planned to entice investment in industry and manufacturing.

"There is a misconception that business always follows infrastructure. Instead, transport follows business as seen by the massive Chinese hub ports like Shenzen. At present, there is still resistance from customers to pay added trucking costs to Batangas and Subic,”

JFC added.

The group is threshing out possible "win-win" solutions with logistic firms to bring down costs and increase the efficiency in Manila--an area which faces congestion, truck bans and route prohibitions.

Moreover, JFC and logistics firms are looking at the lack of support infrastructure such as easy access to ports, including Batangas, so that short-term, mid-term and long-term solutions can be drawn up.

"While undertaking these discussions, the JFC advocacy remains that the use of port assets in Batangas and Subic should be promoted and the impact of expanding the Manila port carefully evaluated,"

the group said.

Earlier this year, the DOTC announced that the Japan International Cooperation Agency is conducting a study how to decongest Manila by promoting Batangas and Subic as alternative seaports.

- Interaksyon

Google to Double Investment in Taiwan Center

2013-12-12T09:31:00.003+08:00

Global search engine giant Google Inc plans to double its investment in its new data center in Taiwan to US$600 million, in response to the fast-growing numbers of Internet users in the Asia-Pacific region.

“While we’ve been busy building, the growth in Asia’s Internet has been amazing,”

Joe Kava, vice president of Google’s data centers unit, said yesterday at the opening of the company’s data center at the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park.

As Internet users in Asia account for half of global users, Google will boost its investment from the planned US$300 million to US$600 million, Kava said.

Sitting on 15 hectares, the data center is the Mountain View, California-based company’s largest center in Asia. Google has more than 60 full-time employees assigned to perform tasks and maintain equipment at the Changhua center.

Kava said the facility is built to be energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. While the data center can work by cooling water at night when temperatures are cooler, it can also store the cooled water in large insulated tanks to cool servers during daytime, Kava said.

The Changhua center uses only about half of the power consumed by standard data centers on a daily basis, he added.

Google announced in 2011 its plan to build data centers in Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. The company later canceled the plan to set up a center in Hong Kong, and opted to expand the one in Taiwan to serve users in Asia, Kava said.

The US company expects to inaugurate its new US$120 million data center in Jurong West, Singapore, later this month, the company said. - Taipei Times

Business, NGOs Consolidate Disaster Initiatives

2013-12-10T11:23:00.005+08:00

The country’s top conglomerates, top business groups and non-government organizations have teamed up to boost disaster initiatives, focusing on eight critical areas in the country.

The private sector is consolidating various initiatives under the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF), co-chaired by Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. and Metro Pacific Investments chair Manuel V. Pangilinan, Ayala Corp. chair Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

The group will focus its activities on Northern Cebu, Northern Negros, Northern Panay, Leyte, Samar, Palawan, Bohol and Zamboanga City.

The goal is to consolidate efforts and organize private sector response to Supertyphoon “Yolanda” and other recent disasters as well as to prepare for future calamities.

PDRF will serve as a permanent private sector vehicle for disaster management covering preparedness, relief, recovery and reconstruction. It will serve as a major point of contact of the business community with the government, international aid agencies and the NGO community.

With regards to Supertyphoon Yolanda, PDRF has identified five key sectors for early recovery efforts: shelter, livelihood, education, environment and water/infrastructure/ sanitation/health.

“Recent events have highlighted the fact that the Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. We must become much more adept at dealing with calamities—both natural and man-made. The private sector has an important role to play in making our country more resilient,” Pangilinan said in a statement.

PDRF president Rene Meily, in a briefing, said this was a “historic day” as major business groups in the country had decided to form the first disaster response body.

“We decided to work together, share information and resources both on current disasters and we also decided to work together for the future,” he said.

Other members of the PDRF board include: Erramon Aboitiz, president and chief executive officer of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.; Federico Lopez, chair of Energy Development Corp.; Edgar Chua, country chair of Shell companies in the Philippines; Doris Magsaysay Ho, president and CEO of Magsaysay Maritime Corp.; Gilda Pico, president of Landbank of the Philippines, and Ramon del Rosario Jr., president of the Philippine Investment Management Inc. (Phinma). Members of the PDRF advisory board include Rafael Lopa, executive director of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and Guillermo Luz, co-chair for the private sector of the National Competitiveness Council.

Tagle said the Church could also collaborate with PDRF by pooling funds and manpower support from its parishioners. Luz said major conglomerates and business groups have come together in a “large coordinated and unified manner” to form a structure to deal with all sorts of natural disasters.

Magsaysay Ho emphasized the need to create sustainable organization for the long term. One of the tasks at hand, she said, would be to identify capacity, determine excess capacity and work to rally all levels of the organization. From the core group formed on Monday.

To date, PDRF has coordinated medical missions in Tacloban, distributed rice, tents, cellphones, satellite phones, built schools in Bohol, bought fishing boats for the fisherfolk and worked at providing extra classrooms to the Department of Education.

“We realize that disasters are a recurring part of the Philippine setting and we need to respond because each one affects many lives in addition to hurting our core businesses,” Lopa said.

“The business community’s first task, through PDRF, is to help re-boot the economy in disaster-affected areas and accelerate recovery through investments in both commercial operations and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects,”Luz said.

PDRF is in the process of creating a crisis response mapping facility to map out the ongoing commercial and CSR activities in the disaster areas. This aims to provide visibility on what has been accomplished and what still needs to be done and help determine how resources can be efficiently and effectively allocated. The mapping facility will also help in monitoring and auditing projects on the ground.

- Inquirer

Senate Eyeing Creation of Relief, Rehab Agency

2013-12-06T07:33:00.001+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate is eyeing the creation of an agency similar to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the US government to deal with relief and rehabilitation efforts in the aftermath of calamities, Senate President Franklin Drilon said yesterday.

He said the disaster agency was among the issues he discussed with US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, who paid him a courtesy call at the Senate.

"We are looking at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and how it works,"

he said.

"We are looking at the possibility of having a permanent government structure instead of what we have today,"

he added.

Forest Cover

Drilon noted that under the present setup, an ad hoc council – the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council - handles relief and rehabilitation efforts.

He stressed the need to improve the government's disaster management following the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda.

"I understand a lot of improvement happened after (Hurricane) Katrina and we're looking at that to see the good practices we can adopt here so we'll be able to respond effectively to disasters that will visit us in the future. No question about that,"

he said.

Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly - Nov. 7, 2013

He noted that the lack of permanent agency to deal with disasters prompted President Aquino to appoint former senator Panfilo Lacson as rehabilitation czar.

Also during their meeting, Drilon said he thanked Goldberg for the nearly $52-million assistance fund that the US government gave to Yolanda victims. - PhilSTAR

ILO: 100,000 Jobs Available for Yolanda Victims

2013-12-03T07:41:00.002+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - The International Labor Organization (ILO) hopes to change the lives of half a million Yolanda victims within a year with the availability of 100,000 decent jobs in areas devastated by the typhoon.

Simon Hills, ILO disaster response and livelihood development officer, yesterday stressed the need to provide employment that would help rebuild the lives of typhoon victims.

Hills said decent work can speed up the recovery process and lead to “multiplier effect.”

“Ensuring jobs for 100,000 men and women that include minimum wages, sound occupational safety, skills development and social protection can change the lives of 500,000 people within 12 months and beyond,”

he said.

Hills explained that one wage earner can support a family of five, who in turn will be able to pay for food, medicine, water and transportation.

“So, the money that goes to this family through this one job will then circulate with a multiplier effect across the local economy,”

he added.

According to Hills, it is critical to ensure that people from disaster areas have money and immediate support through emergency employment.

With the support from ILO, Hills said the Philippine government has set up emergency employment programs in Leyte and Samar.

To date, he said about 17,000 people have registered and are ready to clear roads, rehabilitate schools, clean hospitals and public infrastructures in typhoon-hit areas.

The ILO will start three other employment programs in Northern Cebu, Negros Occidental and Coron in Palawan.

Workers in the emergency employment program are employed for a minimum of 15 days and receive salaries and social security benefits set by the law.

Hills said that short-term employment alone is not enough, thus the ILO and the Philippine government are working closely to provide typhoon victims with opportunities to develop skills that will enable them to have stable sources of income and social protection, inclusive of health insurance.

Meanwhile, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said it would take time for the business industry in typhoon-affected areas to bounce back.

“Our assessment showed no immediate signs of jobs to return soon,”

TUCP executive vice president Gerard Seno said.

Seno said several worksites in Cebu, Leyte and other areas in Eastern Visayas have stopped operations. - PhilSTAR

IPOPHL Creates Bureau of Copyright

2013-12-02T11:58:00.005+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is setting up a new agency which would be responsible for the accreditation of organizations which would collect royalties for copyrighted works used for commercial purposes in line with the amended IP Code.

IPOPHL director general Ricardo Blancaflor told reporters during the 3rd Philippine Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Summit yesterday that under the amended IP Code signed by President Aquino earlier this year, the IPOPHL could create a new agency, the Bureau of Copyright.

“It (amended IP Code) gives us the right to create the Bureau of Copyright. We are just waiting for the go-signal of DBM (Department of Budget and Management),”

he said.

The new bureau, which the IPOPHL expects to be in place by early next year, would be responsible for promoting awareness of IP rights and the accreditation of collective management organizations (CMO) or those which would collect royalties of copyrighted works being used in public places.

He noted that while the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (FILSCAP) already collects fees for the usage of works of composers, authors and publishers, many establishments would want to pay royalties to CMOs which are accredited by the government.

“What mall owners want is for government to regulate them (CMOs),”

he said.

Performer’s Rights Society of the Philippines corporate secretary John Lesaca explained that while the FILSCAP has been collecting royalties for copyrighted works, collections have been small as many are not yet aware of the need to pay for the use of such works.

Lesaca said that under the amended IP Code, even performers such as recording artists would be paid for the use of the copyrighted works. - PhilSTAR

'Yolanda' Action Plan Ready for Palace Scrutiny This Week -- NEDA

2013-11-25T11:11:00.002+08:00

MANILA - The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) will submit to Malacanang this week a short-term plan to help the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda.

"It's an action plan that will describe priority sectors and areas that we need to put in place,"

NEDA Director-General and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Baliscan told reporters last Friday night.

He said the most urgent needs of typhoon survivors are food, shelter, medicine, water, electricity, access of goods and access to transportation.

"We will submit this plan to the President, outlining the most important actions to implement this early recovery program,"

Balisacan said.

He said the government will prioritize the restoration of livelihoods, particularly of farmers.

"We will be providing them with assistance, so that they could plant for the coming December. We will also provide them with materials and tools,"

he said.

As for the medium- to long-term rehabilitation plan, Balisacan said the objective is to make the areas not only better-equipped, but also more resilient communities.

"We just don’t replace what was lost, but we do more than that, ensuring this time, we are building hospitals and roads, which are structurally more resilient. That’s what we are doing,"

he said, adding that the rehab plan would take longer to draft.

Earlier, the Cabinet Economic Development Cluster formed an interagency task force to craft the plan, focusing on immediate and near-term actions needed to rebuild facilities, restore social services and revive economic activities.

The government's Yolanda Recovery and Reconstruction Plan aims to speed up government operations to enhance delivery of services in the affected areas; find and develop resettlement sites; and restore public utilities and facilities using upgraded standards.

The task force will prepare a detailed master plan, indicating short- and long-term actions. Immediate actions include assessment of damage to infrastructure and preparation of more resilient design standards for infrastructure projects.

These will be used in the rehabilitation and construction of critical infrastructure such as housing; roads and bridges; hospitals; provincial, city and municipal halls; seaports and airports; public markets; water supply and distribution systems; irrigation systems; power; telecommunications; as well as other government offices and facilities. - Interaksyon

PHL Counts the Economic Cost of Typhoon Yolanda

2013-11-21T11:12:00.005+08:00

Super Typhoon Yolanda's (Haiyan) devastating assault on the central Philippines exerted a catastrophic human cost, but analysts say its impact on one of Asia's fastest growing economies will be less traumatic.

The national economy has been on an upswing for the past five years and expanded 7.6 percent in the first half of 2013 – a remarkable turnaround for a country once seen as an irredeemable non-achiever.

The government targeted gross domestic product (GDP) growth of between 6.0 and 7.0 percent for the whole year, and now the question is whether that needs to be re-calibrated in the wake of the typhoon damage.

The Philippines is no stranger to natural disasters, but Yolanda was in a class of its own, packing some of the strongest winds ever recorded by a storm making landfall.

More than 4,000 people were killed and up to 4.4 million displaced – twice the number that lost their homes after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

According to the International Labour Organisation, around five million workers – equivalent to the population of Norway – had their livelihoods temporarily or permanently destroyed.

Risk modeling specialists such as AIR Worldwide have forecast the total economic loss at anywhere between $6.5 billion and $15 billion dollars.

But as grim as those statistics are, the macro economic cost of Typhoon Haiyan will, according to initial estimates from various sources, be lighter than might have been expected from a storm of such destructive power.

The typhoon barreled through some of the poorest regions in the country, sparing any significant manufacturing base and largely impacting agricultural areas producing rice and coconut.

"The affected areas account for a relatively small proportion of GDP, so the impact on headline GDP is likely to be small and manageable,"

Credit Suisse said in a report that questioned forecasts suggesting Haiyan would shave one percentage point off the 2013 annual growth rate.

"Exports of agricultural products will be impacted, but they form a relatively small portion of overall exports,"

the report said.

There is some concern over a spike in inflation triggered by higher rice prices, but most estimates predict it would be short-lived, especially if enough rice seed is provided for the crucial December-January planting season.

The Philippine central bank has indicated it would consider tweaking monetary policy if the typhoon's inflationary legacy persists, but said economic growth goals for the year were still achievable.

"Our own runs (projections) show that 2013 GDP growth could still be within the government's target range, as rehabilitation efforts could make up for lost production,"

Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. told the Wall Street Journal.

Economists such as Ronald Mendoza, executive director at the Asian Institute of Management, believe the reconstruction effort could prove to be the silver lining in the Yolanda story.

"There is a real opportunity here to encourage inclusive growth in a historically impoverished region that has been largely disconnected from those elements driving the national economy,"

Mendoza said.

"An ambitious rebuilding program would not just be good for the region. It would also send an important message to foreign investors about the country's resilience and its ability to bounce back from crisis,"

he added.

The Philippines reached an important milestone this year as, one after the other, the three global rating agencies granted the country investment-grade status.

The move reflected higher growth, political stability and improved governance – all of which have stimulated the interest of overseas investors.

The Credit Suisse report said the post-Haiyan reconstruction effort would boost GDP in 2014, and it also forecast a short-term shot in the arm for the country's current account delivered by a spike in overseas remittances.

The amount of money Filipinos living abroad send home every year is equivalent to 10 percent of GDP and previous disasters have traditionally seen a sharp jump of up to 15 percent in the size of the remittances.

But even the best-case economic scenario envisages a long, grim struggle for the millions of traumatized victims of Haiyan, for whom silver linings offer little immediate relief.

"Beyond the estimates of damage and reconstruction, it is important to consider the intangible losses,"

said Danilo Israel, senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Developmental Studies.

"The loss in human lives, the loss of bio-diversity, the destruction of heritage sites, the loss of relationships – it's difficult to put a value on these intangibles, which can sometimes have a big impact on economic growth."

– Agence France-Presse

UN Climate Chief Calls on Coal Industry to Change

2013-11-19T17:06:00.002+08:00

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The top U.N. climate diplomat on Monday told the coal industry it should leave most of the world's remaining coal reserves in the ground and start investing in renewable energy sources.

On the sidelines of a UN climate conference, Christiana Figueres told dozens of CEOs of coal companies meeting at Poland's Economy Ministry that their industry needs to change radically to curb emissions of heat-trapping gases that scientists say are warming the planet.

"The world is rising to meet the climate challenge and as risks of inaction mount, and it is in your best interest to make coal part of the solution,"

Figueres said.

The coal event was seen as a provocation by climate activists, who used a crane to reach the ministry's roof, where they unfurled banners criticizing Poland's — and the world's — reliance on coal and other fossil fuels.

Police used another crane to take them down, as panelists at the coal summit said that the people in the room, not the people on the roof, have the possibility to change the coal industry.

The World Coal Association, which organized the event, said it was meant as a contribution, not an alternative, to the UN climate talks.

Poland generates some 90 percent of its electricity from coal and Economy Minister Janusz Piechocinski said coal must be a part of talks on reducing CO2 emissions.

"You cannot have a low-emissions energy transformation without talking about coal,"

because it's the second-biggest energy source in the world," he said.

Coal accounts for less than 30 percent of the world's energy supply but more than 40 percent of energy emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.

Figueres, who was criticized by some climate activists for attending the conference, noted coal's role in economic development since the industrial revolution but said it's come at "an unacceptably high cost to human and environmental health."

She said aging, high-polluting coal plants must be closed and new plants should implement technologies that allow for emissions to be trapped before they are released into the atmosphere. But to bring down CO2 emissions to levels that would avoid dangerous levels of warming, most of the existing coal reserves must be left in the ground, she said.

"Some major oil, gas and energy technology companies are already investing in renewables, and I urge those of you who have not yet started to join them,"

Figueres said.

While coal emissions have declined in the US they are growing fast in China and India to meet the energy needs of their fast-growing economies.

Coal industry officials say significant emissions reductions can be achieved by improving the efficiency of coal-fired plants. But in the long term analysts say expensive carbon-capture technologies need to be implemented to make the deep cuts required to slow climate change. - Associated Press

Palm Oil Prices Climb Higher on PHL Typhoon Fears

2013-11-15T08:35:00.005+08:00

Kuala Lumpur – Malaysian palm oil futures rose to a more-than-a-week high on Wednesday on prospects that a deadly typhoon in the Philippines would damage crops and halt exports of competing coconut oil, channeling demand to palm oil-based alternatives.

The super typhoon Haiyan that wreaked havoc in central Philippines – one of the world's top coconut oil producers – could severely deplete coconut oil supply in the region as the country struggles to cope with rescue and relief efforts.

Coconut oil traded as much as $240 up from Monday and about $90 up during the day, pushing up other competing vegetable oils, on concerns of the damage the typhoon has already inflicted to trees.

Crude palm kernel oil PKO-MYSTH-M1 prices rose to 3,802.96 ringgit by Wednesday's midday break, up from 3,356,32 ringgit in the previous session, and from 3,191.18 ringgit on early Tuesday.

"The weather-driven market is supporting not only palm oil, but the other vegetable oils as well,"

said a trader with a foreign commodities brokerage.

"The situation in the Philippines has affected coconut oil supply, which pushed palm kernel oil up more than 150 ringgit per tonne,"

said the Kuala Lumpur-based trader.

By the midday break, the benchmark January contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange had climbed 0.7 percent to 2,618 ringgit ($816) per tonne - the highest level since Nov. 4.

Total traded volume stood at 10,270 lots of 25 tonnes each on Thursday, below the usual 12,500 lots.

Technicals were a little bearish. Malaysian palm oil is biased to revisit its Tuesday low of 2,506 ringgit per tonne, as its correction from the Nov. 1 high of 2,632 ringgit does not seem to be complete, Reuters market analyst Wang Tao said.

The shortage of coconut oil supply could hike crude palm kernel oil prices as buyers look for substitutes, analysts say, as both coconut oil and the palm product can be used as raw materials in the oleochemicals industry and to produce soap and cosmetics.

"Crude palm oil prices may increase up to 2,800 ringgit by year-end if the supply damage turns out to be a full blown crisis, and assuming 25 percent of Philippine coconut oil supply is damaged,"

said Kenanga Investment Bank analyst Alan Lim.

He added that Malaysian planters such as TSH Resources , Genting Plantations, and IJM Plantations would see a positive earnings impact if buyers switch to the crude palm oil.

In competing vegetable oil markets, the US soyoil contract for December rose 0.22 percent in early Asian trade. The most active May soybean oil contract on the Dalian Commodities Exchange rose 1.0 percent.

In other markets, Brent crude edged above $106 per barrel on Wednesday, recovering some lost ground after oil was hit by speculation the U.S. Federal Reserve may soon start to reduce its monetary stimulus. – Reuters

Philippines Can Leapfrog to Developed Status, Says Futurist Michio Kaku

2013-11-08T17:26:00.003+08:00

MANILA - Technological transfer coupled with education and entrepreneurship will make it easier for developing countries like the Philippines to leapfrog into high-income status, according to world-renowned futurist, scientist, author, and TV and radio host Michio Kaku.

“The Philippines is poised to leap into the future. You have a population that is semi-educated, ready to move in the future. And remember that developing counties don’t have to go through the same stages as the West,”

said Kaku, who is widely known for his ongoing attempt to complete Albert Einstein’s dream of devising a “theory of everything” that would

“summarize all the physical laws of the universe.”

Kaku said technology and information have leveled the playing field, making economic development easily attainable.

“Here, you can leapfrog to the future. You don’t have to wire up your cities—you can go wireless. Technology transfer can compress all these technologies and send them on a microchip. This means that instead of taking a hundred years to industrialize, in one generation you can leap into the 21st century. That’s the benefit of this digital revolution,”

he said.

According to Kaku, modern technological infrastructure has made physical infrastructure in developed economies passé.

“We have an ageing infrastructure in London, Paris and New York City. Subways are falling apart, bridges are falling apart,”

he said.

Kaku sees progress only in economies that constantly innovate to tap speedy information and technology transfer.

“The key to the future is innovation—new ideas that generate new companies and jobs and progress. But what’s the key to [innovation]? The key is education. We have to educate the workforce to be ready for the future,”

he said.

Beefing up science and engineering would be crucial, according to Kaku, as

“jobs in the future will require more education than jobs in the past.”

He noted that

“many people are unemployed now, but there are a lot of jobs out there [that] require more education.”

Also key to economic progress is a wave of entrepreneurship and a business environment encouraging startups, Kaku said.

“We also need more entrepreneurs, more government officials who want to encourage formation of new companies, government funding to stimulate [entrepreneurship],”

he said.

“We should not wait for somebody else to create the job. We should start to educate ourselves. We should become entrepreneurs to create the future,”

Kaku said.

“The key is innovation and the key to that is education and entrepreneurship. The culture has to change so that we prize entrepreneurs who create new businesses, the government officials fund these new kinds of endeavors to create new Silicon Valleys and new centers of excellence,”

he said.

Kaku—considered an authority in predicting trends that would affect business based on latest scientific research—spoke at today’s First Pacific Leadership Academy (FPLA) Executive Series dubbed “The Business of Innovation: Transcending Business Through Innovation.”

- InterAksyon.com

MPIC, Ayala, SMC Units to Bid for CALA project

2013-11-05T15:39:00.002+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has prequalified three groups and gave another group three days to comply with the requirement for the P35.4-billion Cavite-Laguna (CALA) expressway project.

DPWH assistant secretary Eugenio Pipo Jr. told The STAR that the agency’s bids and awards committee (BAC) has prequalified MPCALA Holdings Inc. led by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), the Ayala-led Team Orion, and Optimal Infrastructure Development Inc. of diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp.

“All these three groups qualified for the project,”

he said in a telephone interview.

However, Pipo said the committee gave AlloyMTD Capital three days to clarify submissions for construction experience and design contractor.

He pointed out that the company needs to produce a certification that it has construction experience for a similar project worth at least P10 billion.

Likewise, he added that the company failed to specify a design contractor.

“We are giving them three days after which we will decide,”

he said.

All the four groups submitted prequalification documents last Oct. 23.

MPIC’s Metro Pacific Tollways Development Corp. partnered with Leighton Contractors (Philippines) Inc. to form MPCALA Holdings Inc. while AlloyMtd is the merger between MTD of Malaysia and Alloy.

Team Orion is led by AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. that tied up with Cebu-based Aboitiz Group, Macquarie Infrastructure Holdings Philippines as well as contractors Bouygues Travaux, Egis Road Operations and Korea Expressway Corp.

SMC, on the other hand, is represented by Optimal Infrastructure Development.

Prior to the submission of bids, a total of 18 companies expressed interest in the project.

Aside from those that submitted prequalification documents, other firms that expressed interest included Megawide Engineering Excellence, the joint venture of Tokwing Construction Corp. and STX Enterprises; the EFC Enterprises; M/s IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd. (ITNL) as well as the L&T Infrastructure Development Projects Ltd.

The DPWH earlier extended the deadline for the submission of prequalification documents by one month to give prospective bidders more time to prepare.

Pipo said the pre bid conference is scheduled on Nov. 19

He added that prequalified bidders will have one-on-one from Nov. 25 to Nov. 29.

He said submission of technical and financial bids is scheduled on Jan. 20 next year.

The CALA expressway is the third project of the DPWH under the PPP scheme. With a cost of P35.42 billion, it is so far the biggest PPP project in terms of project cost and involves the financing, design and construction, operation and maintenance of the closed-system tolled expressway connecting the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and the Manila-Cavite Tollroad expressway (Cavitex).

The 47-kilometer expressway would start from the Cavitex in Kawit, Cavite and end at the SLEX-Mamplasan Interchange in Biñan, Laguna. It would consist of nine interchanges in Kawit, Daang Hari, Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang, Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay, Laguna Blvd., Technopark, and a toll barrier before SLEX. - Inquirer

Petron Malaysia Sets $2-B Investment Plan

2013-11-04T07:11:00.002+08:00

MANILA, Philippines - Petron Malaysia Refining and Marketing Bhd is investing $2 billion in the next 10 years to expand its network and strengthen its foothold in the Southeast Asian country, its top official said.

“In the next 10 years, we will put in money and expand,”

Petron Malaysia chairman and chief executive officer Ramon Ang told reporters.

He said that Petron’s business in Malaysia has been churning in good returns for the company.

“Very stable ang operations ng Petron Malaysia dahil dun sa Malaysia guaranteed return on investment, up or down, nakakatitiyak ka maganda ang return,”

Ang said.

At present, the company has 560 stations in Malaysia but the number of retail stations is expected to increase with the $2-billion investment, Ang said.

He declined to reveal the number of additional stations.

Petron Malaysia, based in Kuala Lumpur, manufacturers and markets petroleum products. It also operates an oil refinery in Port Dickson.

For the Philippines, Petron Corp. is also on track with its “massive expansion program,” Ang said.

“Petron is undergoing massive expansion and modification. We will be finished by end-2014,” he said, adding that by the end of next year, Petron would be able to produce Euro IV products.

The Euro IV standard is a globally accepted European emission standard for vehicles. The Euro IV standards require fuel to have significantly low amounts of sulfur and benzene.

Euro IV compliant fuels have a significantly lower sulfur content of 50 ppm (parts per million) compared to the current Philippine standard of 500 ppm.

He said the company, which accounts for at least 34 percent of the market, would be more competitive in the Philippines with its refineryexpansion.

The upgrade of its refinery would allow Petron to produce 180,000 barrels of oil per day from an average of 100,000 barrels today.

It would also allow the conversion of 97 percent of crude oil into finished products from the current 67 percent. - PhilSTAR

Meralco’s Singapore Plant Defers Opening to January

2013-10-31T07:29:00.002+08:00

PacificLight Power Pte. Ltd., the joint venture between First Pacific Ltd. of Hong Kong and Manila Electric Co., has postponed the start of commercial operations of an 800-megawatt liquefied natural gas power plant in Singapore to January from the original December target.

“Commercial operation is expected to start in January 2014,”

said Meralco PowerGen Corp. general manager Aaron Domingo told reporters.

Domingo said Meralco PowerGen wanted to “make sure that the power plant would run smoothly and that there would be no other problems.”

He said the commissioning of the two units of the 800-MW LNG plant in Jurong Island had started. The first unit was first synchronized to the grid on June 30 and the second unit on Aug. 30.

Meralco PowerGen and parent firm First Pacific formed a joint venture called FPM Power Holdings Inc. early this year to acquire the 70-percent stake of GMR Energy [Singapore] Ltd. (now called PacificLight Energy) in the Singapore LNG project for $488 million.

The balance of 30 percent of PacificLight is owned by Petronas of Malaysia, the national oil company.

Meralco president Oscar Reyes earlier said the company expected to post gains from the acquisition of a 70-percent interest in the Singapore LNG plant starting in 2014.

“In terms of PacificLight, there will be benign contribution this year. We will see full results next year,”

Reyes said.

Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan also said the joint venture was expected to transfer the LNG combined cycle power plant technology to the Philippines.

“The [Singapore] investment represents a significant milestone for a major Philippine company as it works towards investment-grade status,”

Pangilinan said.

The Singapore power project is Meralco’s first power project outside of the Philippines. The company is exploring more power investment opportunities in the region. - StandardTODAY.com